One might not associate art with your election day polling place, but New Yorkers have just voted on a new design for the “I Voted” stickers handed out on Election Day to those who have done their civic duty. The winning image, inspired by the subway map, is the work of Marie Dagata and Scott Heinz. Both live north of the city in Bronxville, and commute to the city for work.
“The subway brings the people together of the five boroughs, and similarly the act of voting connects them as well,” Dagata told the New York Times. A hobbyist painter who runs a biotechnology company, she collaborated with Heinz, an art director at the History Channel, on the winning design, which shows colored subway lines from all five boroughs meeting at a stop at the “o” in “voted.”
The design employs the aesthetics of the current subway map, based on John Tauranac’s 1978 design. (His map replaced Massimo Vignelli’s controversial 1972 version, beloved by graphic design aficionados, but considered confusing due to its distortion of geography.)
The current New York City subway map, based on John Tauranac’s 1978 design. Courtesy of the MTA.
The design was selected from 10 finalists in a contest organized by the city’s Campaign Finance Board, which saw nearly 10,000 people cast their ballots. Half of the finalists featured the Statue of Liberty, the subject of the original “I Voted” stickers, which were only adopted in 2013. (According to TIME, the voting sticker’s history dates back to at least 1982.)
Brother and sister duo Stanley and Zoe Markman, who designed the current stickers—a huge hit on social media this past election day—and are now ages 14 and 15, told the Times that they were happy to pass the torch, so to speak. “The subway is a huge part of life in New York City,” said Zoe. “I take it nearly every day, and I really like that it’s represented.”
The new subway-themed stickers will be introduced at New York City polling places on September 12, which is Primary Day—make sure to pick yours up then.